"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Six days. Six blissful days of doing absolutely nothing really worth mentioning in the grand scheme of things. We went on vacation. To Marco Island, in Florida. I used to be somewhat repelled by the idea of going to Florida, hearkening back to trips there as a child in the middle of the summer, walking around Disney World, and perspiring profusely in the so-thick-you-can-cut-it humid air.

I think it must have been that I was so dried out here combined with the fact that being January the weather there was a bit more mild... it was, in a word, delightful. We rented a nice house, and spent our time floating in the pool, resting in the sun, walking the beach, eating delicious food, and swimming in the ocean.

God's handiwork is so incredible... the beauty of the sea, the waves rolling up on the shore and then sliding smoothly back over myriad shells left on the sand... gorgeous sunsets... His whole wonderful creation.

The back of the house, from inside the lanai. Marco Island is kind of like a bunch of canals that lead out to the gulf.

The beautiful Tigertail Beach... widest beach I've ever seen in my life!

Pink and yellow houses... only in Florida! :-)

Got my first ever French manicure (well, actually my first manicure, period).

Home Again

I just got back from a week long trip down to Marco Island, Florida. It was a delightful time of rest and relaxation, soaking up the sun and feeling the sandy beach between my toes. More pictures to come... just wanted to pop in quickly and let you know I'm still alive (and very much so)!

Softly Falls the Snow...

Today is a Happy Day | Personal

• It feels like autumn and once again, I have made my bi-annual favorite-season switch from Spring to Fall.

• I have worn sweaters 4 days in a row

• I wore my boots for the first time this season

• I have a photo shoot with two gorgeous girls today

• Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back and I had one this week

• I found one of my favorite kids' books ("A Porcupine Named Fluffy") at a thrift store and bought it for my collection

• God is sovereign!

Have a happy day!

And then God sent rain

Just a week or two ago, everything was dried up and appeared to be dead. The lack of rain for most of the summer thus far had left its mark. The leaves on the Japanese maple by the back deck were curled and shriveled. Area ponds were reduced to mud puddles. The grass was more brown than green and too scratchy to walk on with bare feet. The river birches, water-loving trees that they are, lost half their foliage, making the driveway look the way it does in the fall - covered in crunchy leaves. In the fall I enjoy the crunch underfoot; but it's not quite the same in July. Walking through fallen leaves may be fun when the air is crisp, but it lacks the thrill when it's 90ºF.

And then... God sent rain.

Wonderful, glorious rain, accompanied by flashes of lighting and rumbles of thunder, to soak the thirsty ground. I lay in my bed and just listened to the sound of the myriad drops sloshing against the windows. When you have not heard that sound in weeks (or was it months?), it's the most refreshing thing in the world.

Things are slowly greening up again; the ponds and streams are once more full of water.

Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.

Psalm 68:9

Chicago Botanic Gardens

Recently we went to the Chicago Botanic Gardens to celebrate my dear friend Emily's 21st birthday. The day was gorgeous and what better place to spend it? I had never been there when the roses were in bloom, so it was a treat to see all the beautiful varieties. My favorite garden there is the English Walled Garden... I still want to go back with some of my historical outfits for a photo shoot!

Enjoy the photos!

Lavender always makes the best photos, even if it hasn't bloomed yet!

This is one of my favorite photos from the day.

By the way... Samantha over at Sunshine is having a delightful giveaway of some lovely jewelry! Check it out here!

Purple Lovelies

The World is Coming to Life Again

Though I'm not as crazy about nature photography as I used to be, when spring comes I still usually get the urge to go out and capture plants and flowers as they come back to life. Here are a few of my favorites from this past week or two!